Have you ever though how much you can learn from a day in a museum?
Well, I’m here to share with you the marvels I found in Villa Borghese, along with their stories.
Follow me down this thread to a world of myth and divine inspiration:
Apollo and Daphne by Bernini; the sculpture depicts the climax of the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphe, as the nymph escapes Apollo's advances by transforming into a laurel tree.
Can you see the dynamic movement? Can you see her transforming?
Zoom In.
Venus Victrix, meaning Aphrodite the victorious; she holds an apple in her hand evoking her victory in the Judgement of Paris, which caused the Trojan War.
Can you see the winner’s arrogance in her posture?
Speaking of the Trojan War, here’s Aeneas and Anchisses. The Trojan hero Aeneas, is carrying his old father after the fall of Troy.
Myth wants him to have founded Rome.
Can you see the strength in the body of the son carrying the fickle body of his father?
Intermission: just a couple of little angels looking at you at the gate arc.
Just another one of this breathtaking ceilings. This scene depicts the Greek myth of Phaethon, son of Helius - the Sun.
The boy took his fathers chariot, carrying the Light but, after many complaints, from the stars in the sky to the Earth herself, Zeus strikes Phaethon with one of his lightning bolts, killing him instantly.
David preparing to launch his projectile against Goliath; this is the biblical story depicting David determined to win this fight for his life.
Another masterpiece of Bernini.
Can you see the determination in his facial expression? Zoom in!
And I saved the best fo last; Persephone’s abduction by Hades, also by Bernini.
This tragic scene depicts Hades, king of the underworld, abducting Persephone? Daughter of Demeter, Goddess of agriculture and nature. This Ancient Greek myth was used to explain the seasonal changes, as a deal was struck among the gods: Persephone would spend half a year above the ground with her mother (spring and summer) and half the year below (autumn and winter).
They ended up happily married.
Can you see her tears? Zoom in!
All photos are mine, from my travel diaries.
If you liked the stories, please share and spread the word. Our fellow humans need to see what our species is capable of.
A final shot of the three-headed good boy, Cerberus. I bet you don’t encounter this angle often.
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Can you think of many men who dared challenge an entire Empire?
A gladiator took the fight from the arenas to Rome herself, humiliating the Empire that ruled the known world; this is his story..🧵⤵️
Spartacus was born around 111 BC in Thrace, a rugged land of warriors around Northeastern Greece and its borders with Bulgaria. Likely raised among tribes known for their ferocity, he may have wielded a curved sica sword in raids or as a mercenary.
Ancient sources hint he served in Rome’s auxiliary forces, learning their tactics before deserting—perhaps scorning their discipline or driven by a personal slight. Captured, he was enslaved and sold to a gladiatorial school in Capua by 73 BC.
We often hear of knights in shining armor but tonight, I’ll tell you about the Black Prince.
He had his first victory at 16, left alone by his father to stand and fight.
He became a hard man, chivalrous leader and devoted husband. 'Tis about a boy that won his spurs..🧵⤵️
Edward of Woodstock, born in 1330, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and heir to the throne.
Known as the Black Prince, he was a central figure in the Hundred Years’ War, a commander whose victories made him a legend; a man who fought for something greater than himself: his nation and family.
This was when England was becoming Great.
His life was defined by battlefield triumphs, a commitment to chivalric ideals, and moments of harshness that revealed a complex character.
This is the story of a man who shaped an era through courage, skill, and contradictions.
This is close to what Aristophanes, the ancient Greek comedian, said jokingly about the brutal realities of war and supply chain challenges in classical Greece.
So what did hoplite armies eat on campaign?
When it came to ancient Hellenic warfare, we can roughly divide it in two eras: before Alexander the Great and after.
Part of Alexander’s genius strategy was his supply chain planning and execution. This was a true innovation compared to earlier Greek armies.
Their battles were brutal, their logistics a chaotic scramble, and their scent, as Aristophanes might cackle, could announce their arrival before their trumpets did.
I'll dive into the raw reality of these armies, their supply tactics, and the absurdities that made them both fearsome and faintly comedic.
The End of the Viking Age happened in 1066; the demise of a single man signified it.
He was the last Great Viking: warrior, poet and a king who carved his name across Europe with a storm of steel and verse.
This is the life of Harald Sigurdsson Hardrada..🧵⤵️
This dude did all the disgusting things men want: he was exiled, escaped, became a Varangian in Constantinople, fought saracens in the Holy Lands, had his revenge, retook his throne and almost conquered England.
SUCH DISGUSTING PATRIARCHY is what I love and you’re getting a big dose of it with this thread; buckle up and prepare for a true norse saga.
Harald’s saga kicked off with blood at age 15. In 1030, he fought at Stiklestad alongside his half-brother, King Olaf II, against rebellious Norwegian chieftains backed by Danish muscle.
The battle was a meat grinder—Olaf fell, and Harald, wounded, barely escaped. Exiled, he fled to Kievan Rus, licking his wounds under the protection of Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
The world’s oldest Christian monastery - founded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian himself – is being closed by a muslim regime.
This is just part of what seems to be a series of "coincidences" against Christians; is the Faith then under attack? 🧵⤵️
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt is part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem; it houses the world’s second-largest collection of early codices and manuscripts (after Vatican), including the Codex Sinaiticus.
It's the world's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery and has never been destroyed despite regional upheavals, protected by its remote location, fortified granite walls (2.5 meters thick, 11 meters high), and historical agreements.
This ancient Egyptian statue has some of the most exquisite carved hieroglyphs.
Its black surface and the details of the carvings made many think it cannot be achieved without laser technology.
But how is this possible if the statue was made millennia ago? (Short thread)⤵️
The stone sarcophagus (not statue exactly) lies in Turin, Italy and depicts Minister Jimenvirbak of the 26th dynasty that ruled Egypt between the sixth and seventh centuries BC.
Accordingly, its age is about 2.5 to 3 thousand years.
As confirmed by Sherif al-Saifi, a researcher specializing in Egyptology, the sarcophagus is not made of granite, but rather of diorite, which is harder and more solid than granite.